Discussion

Hey Product Hunt!
Nevin, Co-Founder and CEO of Notify Nearby here. We started Notify Nearby because we never knew anything about our favorite retailers without checking their website, getting a newsletter, or seeing an ad. As a solution, we created a place where we could see all that content in one view and have it delivered to us while we shop.
Content on our app ranges from a broad selection of information that retailers/brands want to share with shoppers. It can be anything from a coupon or sale to exclusive collaborations or the launch of a new product.
Users opt-in to receiving content from the retailers and categories they select. There are no ads or unwanted content displayed on the app. Users only get push notifications based on their location. Beacon technology enables us to target customers while they are around a store or in a specific section of a store.
Notify Nearby is a new kind of app – a place for you to get a behind the scenes look at your favorite brands. Exclusive offers, product launches, style tips, and early access. Welcome to the shopping revolution.
Download Now on the App Store! And leave your thoughts and feedback here. We love hearing from all of you!
Looking forward to chatting with everyone!

@nevinjethmalani How do you get the retailers on board? Most of the large retailers I talk to here in Singapore don't want their customers to download another app since they usually have their own app.

@thistenqyulife@nevinjethmalani The biggest problem with a retailer's app is that only 5% of thier shoppers (in a good case) will download thier app. We aim to target the remaining 95% of shoppers. The retailers we are working with have been receptive in promoting our app because they are able to better engage customers that they previously were not able to communicate with. Would love to hear your thoughts on any additional ways to market the app as well.

@nevinjethmalani good luck... getting them onboard (and managing it) is going to be an expensive challenge as is getting them to actively promote loss leaders to customers not on their CRM/loyalty systems. but shopkick worked and fingers crossed you will too!!! maybe work with thanx?

mobile app alerts customers, as they shop in real-time, to in-store brand announcements, sales, special discounts and more. They can even be alerted as they walk past a specific item in-store.
Their homepage is : http://www.notifynearby.com/

Since I ran an MVP on a similar idea two years ago, I can really appreciate the great work you've done here. It looks absolutely beautiful.
If I understand correctly, both big brands and SMBs can join, and the user decides who to favorite to get updates from?
Best of luck with this!

@darshu Thank you very much! I would love to hear more about your similar idea two years ago. Yes both big box retailers and SMBs can join. Users can follow the retailers they want to receive content from. Have you gotten a chance to try it out?

@darshu thanks for feedback. Yes - you are right, the user decides which brands she/he wants to hear from. We think it will eliminate the email and marketing clutter for the users and help the brands engage with the right lookers and buyers.

Really interesting idea and great execution. Although I am wondering why the video only focuses on sale promotions. It really devalues the retailers' products. Why instead not focus on delivering unique new content to customers (such as new arrivals and story behind the brand )?

@jorisderuiter I totally agree with you. But I think it's the way the app is set up: it's based on "your favorite brands" not on the stuff you buy there, say, shoes or dresses or hats or whatnot. To deliver content, this app would need to be based on something broader than "brands" (or actual stores), it should give the alternative of picking a product category rather than just a brand. Then you'd get content you could compare between brands (say a walking shoe, prices and styles shown at different stores...)

@jorisderuiter Thanks a lot for the kind words. We could only focus on certain aspects of the app when making the video. Promotions and sales are the most valuable pieces of content to shoppers so we decided to focus on those in the video. The app does cover every aspect of content that a brand wants a shopper to see! It focuses on exactly what you mentioned, unique new content such as new arrivals and story behind the brand. Did you get a chance to check out some of the content on the app? I would love hear your thoughts and pass them along to some of the brands we are working with.

@claudenougat@jorisderuiter We will in the future add some focus to the app and allow shoppers to select types of clothing categories. Right now it is limited to content based on brands. Our research has shown us that shoppers are much more inclined to make a purchase at the brands they love opposed to filtering based on garment.

@nevinjethmalani great to hear that it covers a more broad scope. Retail is under a lot of pressure and creating value for them (instead of destroying with bargains), in my opinion, can actually help release some of this pressure. Unfortunately, I cannot download the app because I reside in the Netherlands. Will the app solely focus on the US market? Would love to test some stuff out!